Monday, March 22, 1999
Tigerlilies take long road back
BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
AUSTIN — March Madness has a different meaning here, as thousands of musicians, journalists and members of the international music industry pack their cell phones and descend on the Texas hill country. Welcome to the Big Schmooze of South X Southwest.
When it started 13 years ago, the purpose of the music showcase was to get label representatives to come to this live music capital and look at talented but unsigned bands.
Increasingly, the SXSW spotlight goes to big names. Willie Nelson and Leon Russell were to perform Thursday but were rained out. Jeff Beck had a Wednesday date. Austin guitar great Jimmie Vaughan had a Saturday night show, as did Kelly Willis. Fastball, the latest platinum Austin act, played a homecoming show.
But unsigned bands still come, hoping for a record deal. Cincinnati's Tigerlilies gave it their best shots, with a tight set at a 1 a.m. Friday showcase and an even sharper Saturday afternoon show at the Continental Club.
The latter was hosted by SXSW favorite and new Cincinnatian Mojo Nixon. But even with Mojo's seal of approval, no major-label rep came calling.
The band wasn't surprised.
“I had no illusions of being signed from the stage,” bassist Brian Driscoll said after their set. “We really did it for the whole experience of coming down here.”
They weren't the only locals in Austin. Mr. Nixon's marathon, which ran from 10 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, also featured a stripped-down, four-man Big In Iowa (their keyboardist was arriving later for a showcase sponsored by Blue Rose Records, their label in Europe). Dayton's Guided By Voices were slated to close Saturday night's show at Waterloo Park.
Big In Iowa found itself playing at 10:40 a.m., an unusual time for a rock show. But lead singer Bob Burns shrugged it off. “It's a good thing we started early,” he said. “Before everybody got a chance to start drinking.”
For the Tigerlilies, SXSW had an importance beyond immediate career benefits.
Last year, they never made it past Dallas. A drunk driver smashed into them.
Their van was totaled. All four band members sustained injuries and road manager Craig Falbe was killed.
After finishing their SXSW business this weekend, the Tigerlilies had one more commitment, not to any label honcho, but to an old friend.
Their return to Dallas had left them so shaken that they fled the city when their show was over Thursday morning, detouring around the accident site.
“Sunday, on the way back, we want to stop in Dallas and go to where the crash was and leave some flowers for Craig,” Mr. Driscoll said. “That's something we all really need to do.”
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